Wireless communication systems typically include wireless access systems or radio access networks with equipment such as wireless access nodes and various control/routing nodes, which provide wireless access to communication services for user devices over wireless links. A typical wireless communication system includes systems to provide wireless access across a geographic region, with wireless coverage areas associated with individual wireless access nodes. The wireless access systems exchange user communications between user devices and service providers for the communication services. Communication services typically include voice calls, data exchange, web pages, streaming media, or text messages, among other communication services.
When a voice call is placed to a user device, the user device is typically alerted to the incoming voice call and the user of the user device can elect to answer the voice call or reject the voice call. Voicemail systems typically handle recording voice messages related to missed or rejected voice calls, and can be found in discrete voicemail services of the wireless communication systems. In some examples, alternative voicemail services are employed where voicemail handling and processing features are included on the user devices themselves, such as in smartphone voicemail applications and visual voicemail systems.
To handle a missed or rejected voice call when a user device voicemail service is employed, the wireless communication system typically routes the voice call to the user device for handling of the missed or rejected voice call by a voicemail service located on the user device. However, live routing of the voice call itself to the voicemail service of the user device can create congestion and use limited resources of the wireless communication system. Also, routing of recorded voicemail data from a voicemail service of the wireless communication system to a user device can also create undesirable congestion of the limited resources of the wireless communication system.
Overview
Systems, methods, and software for operating a wireless communication system are provided herein. In one example, method of operating a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes processing a voice call directed to a user device and alerting the user device of the voice call, determining that the user device has not answered the voice call, and determining a status of the wireless communication system. When the status of the wireless communication system indicates a first condition, then the method includes initiating a first connection for the voice call to a voicemail service for the wireless communication system. When the status of the wireless communication system indicates a second condition, then the method includes initiating a second connection for the voice call to a voicemail service on the user device.
In another example, a wireless communication system is provided. The wireless communication system includes a network element configured to process a voice call directed to a user device and alert the user device of the voice call, determine that the user device has not answered the voice call, and determine a status of the wireless communication system. When the status of the wireless communication system indicates a first condition, then the network element is configured to initiate a first connection for the voice call to a voicemail service for the wireless communication system. When the status of the wireless communication system indicates a second condition, then the network element is configured to initiate a second connection for the voice call to a voicemail service on the user device.